It's Far Too Cold For Thoughts (Tagged)

[koolpup]

emorli

The day is half over, the sun hanging high in a cold, cloudless sky. The snow that covers the dead earth sparkles in the sunlight, resembling a heap of diamonds. In amongst the snow is a splotch of red, vibrant in contrast to the vast sea of glimmering white.

Kineks trudges through the meadow with purpose. She and Ebony had been separated from each other in a snowstorm many sunrises prior. She has been looking for him ever since. She hasn't had much luck, seeing as she is unable to smell a thing and no wolf she's talked to has seen him. She is on the verge of giving up hope. It's been too long, she just hopes her friend is safe wherever he is. She pauses suddenly, her ears twitching as she picks up on the sound of something else moving through the snow. She whips around and is instantly disappointed to see a hare making its way across the field. She scolds herself inwardly. She knows the difference between a wolf's footsteps and a hare's! She just had hoped that just maybe...

She feels her ears droop slightly and she shakes her head, refocusing on the hare. Despite her disappointment, prey is prey and she hasn't been able to catch anything for a few sunrises. Right now, thoughts of Ebony can wait. The crimson she-wolf lowers herself to a crouching position and begins to inch closer to the hare. When she is only a few tail-lengths away the hare's ears raise in alarm and it stiffens. After a half-second Kineks' body springs to life, her legs stretching out to their full length as she begins to gallop towards the hare. The hare bolts away from her managing to keep a small distance between them. Kineks begins to catch up, only to have the little creature abruptly change its course, making her wheel around to keep on its tail. The chase to any onlooker would almost look like a dance, both wolf, and hare weaving back and forth around the meadow, kicking up snow in their wake. In the end, Kineks manages to get the upper paw. She guesses which direction the hare will veer and cuts it off. In a swift movement, she pounces on her prey and grabs it by its neck with her maw; shaking it to quickly ends its life. She flinches when it screams and sets it down when she knows it's dead.

"Sorry." She apologizes in a soft voice, then settles down into the snow. "I need to eat you, I'm hungry." She really should stop apologizing to everything she catches. Apologizing does absolutely nothing. Though, she can barely bear the sounds some of the prey she's caught make. Vardan always seemed to enjoy them. She can't believe she ever thought her brother could be a good wolf. She huffs and shakes her head, her ears pinning back. Now is not the time to think of Vardan. Though, there will never be a proper time for those thoughts. She lets her eyes rest on the hare again, blood is seeping from its neck and pooling into the snow. She gives into her hunger, beginning to eat, trying to push any and all thoughts from her mind for now. Wanting to listen to the frozen world around her.

[emorli]

Baal;

Baal usually is the image one might think of when picturing a wolf who's proper and mature. He carries himself with confidence and pride and he would most likely be found with a kind expression painted across his features. One that welcomes those who he doesn't yet know. All of these things are true, however, he, like everyone, has his moments where he just wants to have fun. He makes jokes with others and usually, he'll be playing with the ones he's close to or in leaves or snow. It just so happened that this was one of the moments he decided to play in the snow.

Baal runs through large piles of snow, a small snow explosion happening every time he makes his way through one. He stands up from one with snow landing on his head and he looks off to the side spotting a hare. It looks at him for a second before taking off in the opposite direction, causing Baal to turn his attention to a wolf who has also just spotted. He tilts his head and watches as she chases the small mamal, eventually catching it.

Lowering himself to the ground, Baal moves closer to the she-wolf. "Sorry. I need to eat you, I'm hungry." He tilts his head. How unusual for a wolf to apologize for killing prey. He doesn't stand up, knowing that his size would be intimidating, and sneaking up on someone along with looking scary hasn't always been one of the best decisions.

(200+))

[koolpup]

Kineks is about a quarter of the way through her hare when she thinks she hears something. It's a quiet crunch of snow, but it's something. Her ears swivel towards the sound before her head does. She is rather surprised to see a grey and dark teal wolf crouching low, looking at her. She can tell that he is a large wolf even though he is crouching, perhaps bigger than her brother. He seems to be trying to make himself look smaller, less intimidating. It's this that makes her lower her guard even more than she normally would. She blinks once or twice before flitting her gaze back to her hare. Perhaps he came when he smelled the prey? She quickly discards her usual thoughts of what exactly fresh prey smells like, there are much more pressing matters at paw.

"Uh, hello!" She greets in a slightly startled tone. Her crimson gaze returns to the unknown male's bronze. "Are you hungry? I know prey is rather scarce... though it's small, we could share if you'd like!" She nudges the now three-quarter hare towards the male. "I'm Kineks." She adds, feeling rather sheepish that she hasn't revealed her name yet. Her mind suddenly returns to Ebony and she tilts her head slightly. "By any chance, have you seen a dappled brown wolf with bright yellow eyes who is mute? Sorry for asking, I got separated from my friend a while ago. I ask every wolf I meet, just in case." She smiles softly then shakes her head. "I am very sorry, I seem to have forgotten all the manners my mum knocked into me as a pup, what's your name?"

[emorli]

Baal;

He smiles in response to her talking to him and sits down resting his tail off to his side, he relaxes his body and his front legs straighten fully, allowing him to revert to his normal height. Her kind gesture of offering her meal created a warm feeling in his heart, but then again, wolves with good souls always make him feel as happy as can be. He continues the interaction by answering her questions one by one.

"No, please continue eating. I won't take any food from you. As you've said, the prey is scarce and I'm sorry to say that I've seen no such wolf but, I hope you find your friend one day." The females last sentence causes a small laugh to emit from the large males throat and his eyes are lit up with the happiness of meeting a friendly wolf.

"My name is Baal and don't worry we all forget sometimes. Anyways, what have you come out into the Lunar Meadow for?" Curiosity was always something that attracted Baal to different places and wolves, that and the beauty of the world. Everything was different and that enticed Baal to learn more about, well, everything, or as much as he could in his lifetime.

"I'm not sure if the lunar flowers will bloom in this cold, but if they did, I'd love to see them. In fact, I myself came to see if they would." He flashes another small smile at the red female and then nodded his head toward the hare, telling her to not let his presence stop her from enjoying a meal she caught.

((200+))

[koolpup]

"I hope so too." The red she-wolf nods and slides her hare back in front of her. She pauses from continuing her meal to listen to the male she now knows as Baal. "That's true, it's nice to meet you Baal." She frowns slightly at his question. 'Why I came here?' She thinks, her eyes sweeping across the meadow. Snow covers it unevenly, tracks from multiple animals crisscrossing the surface. There are small plants poking out of the snow, looking rather cold and withered. Kineks has been looking for Ebony, she's heard of the Lunar Meadow but-

Her thoughts come to an abrupt halt when Baal shares his reason. She nods, looking back at him. "I think the lunar flowers would look very pretty in amongst the snow. I've never seen them, but from other wolve's descriptions they sound almost magical." She chuckles then sighs. She's been living in the valley for what she feels is a while but there are still multiple places she has only maybe heard of. "I honestly didn't know this was the Lunar Meadow, I don't know the valley all that well. I guess I've just been wandering and trying to find Ebony." If a wolf could shrug, Kineks would be. She notices Baal nodding towards the forgotten hare and smiles sheepishly and continues her meal. "I'll definitely stay and see if the flowers do bloom." She adds after swallowing and licking her chops. "I'd like to see them. Who knows when I'll be back here."

[emorli]

Baal;

The cold temperature allows Baal's breath to be seen in the air like a cloud of smoke being produced by a fire-breathing dragon, however, the bright sun makes it a bit harder for the smoke to be seen very well. Funnily enough, it causes him to think of Arani, his sister. Whenever she's around him, she seems like she's always got the temperament of an angry dragon, even though around other people, she's an angel. She can also be quite destructive which he usually tries to ignore, but whenever she starts harming the environment, it bothers him quite a bit.

Thinking back, he's never seen a wolf so calm at the first meeting. If it was him and a wolf almost twice the size of him was crouched in the snow as he was enjoying a meal, he would freak out. Baal finds this wolf very intriguing. She apologized to her prey and she seemed sheepish, but she wasn't as shy as he'd expected. Her answers snap Baal out of his thought, and his eyes focus on her form once again to listen to what she says and he nods as a sign of showing that he hears what she says and is listening to her.

Baal nods in agreement with the smaller, red female. I agree. If this place lives up to the beauty its spoken of, I think I'd be sure to return." The large male stands up, his predominantly grey tail swaying from side to side in a relaxing position. He finds a small pile of snow and paws at it, flicking a small amount of snow up behind him. The tall wolf eventually hits some flattened, slightly yellow grass. He moves enough snow for him to sit down in a little circle, not fancying a cold behind at the moment. "How long have you been in the valley? I myself am not from around here, but I found a family at a young age, so I've been here for a while." Baal flicks his ears some of the snow from earlier still resting on the back and top of them.

((200+))

[koolpup]

Kineks watches Baal as he moves to a comfier position. She flicks her ears softly, realizing she is rather cold, it hadn't been on her mind til now. She stands and shakes the snow loose from her fur; then digs at the snow underneath her until there is a decent sized patch of yellow and brown grass unveiled to the frozen air. With that, she settles back down feeling warmer but only slightly more comfortable after her efforts. Though the snow is colder, it is softer than the frozen ground. She looks back to Baal and tilts her head, trying to recollect how many sunrises it's been since she first stepped paw into the valley.

"Hmm, I believe my brother and I traveled here almost five seasons ago... We were from a pack just outside. We stayed on the outskirts of the valley for quite awhile, not really sure where to go. Huh.... that feels like it was ages ago." She shakes her head and huffs a puff of warm air out of her nose. It clouds in front of her then dissipates quickly. Her mind begins to fill with memories that she still feels are far too painful. Most of them are of Vardan. Most of those are a dreadful mix of good and bad that she just isn't able to properly sort through without her mind twisting in confusion. She wishes her brother could've been what she thought of him, though thoughts cannot change a wolf, nor can other wolves, not really.

She drags herself from her thoughts yet again, pushing them down to the depths of her mind. Instead, she looks at Baal and smiles softly.

"Time really does seem to race by doesn't it?" Her question is more of a statement that does not require much of an answer. She quickly tries to find something to change the subject and direct the conversation away from memories. Suddenly, her eyes glisten with something soft and gentle and, perhaps, a bit playful. "So, I must ask, why you were sneaking up on me? Any other wolf would not have seen the lack of aggression in your posture and would've perhaps fled." She flicks an ear and tilts her head curiously, a little grin adorning her maw.

[emorli]

((Sorry for this being such a small post, I'm going out of town for holiday tomorrow and I'm trying to shoot out posts so I can get ready!))
Baal;

Baal listened to Kineks with intent. Other wolves' lives and pasts always interested him but the sadness that crosses her face when she speaks about her past causes Baal to wear one that matches her own. He nods at her, at everything she's said so far. Time leaves much too quickly. Then comes a question for Baal to keep his mind from thoughts of the female's previous statements. "So, I must ask, why you were sneaking up on me? Any other wolf would not have seen the lack of aggression in your posture and would've perhaps fled."

"Ahh. Well, I was trying my best not to startle you, I've scared my fair share of wolves away purely with my height, so maybe making myself shorter would be less intimidating. I suppose it was a lucky guess this time." The playful look on the red and white female's face and playful tone in her voice, allowed for a fairly playful response. Even though the words alone might not seem playful, his voice was silvery, lighter and clear, as opposed to his usual deep, strong tone.

((200+))

[koolpup]

Kineks chuckles softly and nods.

"I suppose. I can see why others might get frightened by your size. I guess I'm just used to wolves that are like you in stature. Though, most were far from nice company, unlike you." She says as if it is the most normal thing to say. She then remembers that Baal does not know much about her and backtracks slightly. "Ahaha, that probably was somewhat of a confusing thing for me to say. You see, my brother was not that nice of a wolf, he normally didn't bring in the, warmest of company. Though you get used to it after a while... Or, at least, I did." There she goes, pulling the conversation back to what she wanted to mentally run from, oh well. Her smile becomes somewhat strained, but only for a second. "Living with those kinds of wolves does have perks... I guess. You begin to be able to pick up on mannerisms and tell whether they are good or bad. That's why I didn't freak out too much. You didn't seem all too threatening. No offense, I'm sure you can be quite threatening when you need to be." She quickly adds on the 'no offense' just in case Baal is one of those wolves who care deeply about being masculine. Though she doesn't believe that he is, she is good at reading intent, not properly understanding personalities.

[emorli]

((So sorry this took so long, I should be able to send posts out more quickly once school is out, so for me, in about 4 weeks! Thanks for waiting though!))

Baal;

The red and white-pelted female before him holds a slight sad undertone in her voice and he smiles at her trying to get her to match his friendly emotion, "None taken. Of course, I won't say that I completely understand since I have no idea what your past is like, my sister also isn't a breeze to be around, for me at least. She gets along just fine with most everyone, Baal's voice quiets down to a whisper as if his sister might hear him talking about her,"She can be quite snappy and is easily annoyed." He smiles hoping that he's able to cause the atmosphere to lift around the two.

"I'm not one to get easily offended or annoyed over someone's views, so you're okay to speak your mind openly and not worry about offending me or not." one of Baal's eyebrows raises every once in a while he speaks, a small quirk of his, one that is usually gone unnoticed by other wolves he's speaking to. His features continue giving off a friendly feel and he keeps trying to bring Kinek's mood up as well as allow her to open up more. Baal sighs taking a deep breath in before speaking, "You seem to be a strong wolf. Even if you don't realize it."

((200+))

[koolpup]

((It's alright! Though, oh golly, Baal just kinda dug right into the heart of Kineks' insecurities with those few words, get ready for a volley of emotions))

Baal smiles at Kineks comfortingly then tells her of his sister. He whispers as if the absent she-wolf can actually hear him. Kineks chuckles softly. Perhaps some things are universal about sibling relationships, one is always grouchy around the other. She doesn't allow herself to delve deeper into that thought for she is pretty sure that Baal is trying to cheer her up and she will do her best to do so.

He speaks of being not so easily offended and she nods softly. She begins to shift her sitting position then visibly stumbles at his next words. Her eyes widen a fraction and her ears pin back. 'Strong? Me?' She thinks, looking at him with almost palpable confusion. She isn't at all strong physically, in fact, despite getting a little stronger, physical strength is always what she's lacked... other than... the ability to smell. She shakes her head slightly. Perhaps the grey male means her mental strength? Though she doesn't really think... she's not.... She feels her fur heat up in embarrassment.

"I uh.... I ... I guess?..." Her words lilt upward into a higher tone at the end of each word. She looks at her paws feeling her fur fluff out just slightly and her chest tighten. "Sorry, I, I think that's the first time anyone's said anything like that to me..." Her face is filled with a mixture of confusion, fear, and embarrassment. She is so heavily confused not only because she feels that he must be wrong but also because a small part of her feels that he is right. A part of her likes the praise and it scares her. It scares her to the very essence of her being. She looks up at Baal, eyes pleading for a few seconds. "I uh..." 'Please, don't compliment me, I don't deserve it.' Her thoughts interrupt her speech but she doesn't dare say them out loud. She looks away again, down at the wilted grass.

"No... I'm not all that strong, I am sorry." Her jaw sets and she continues studying the frozen earth. "I've let things happen to other wolves... awful things, I let them happen all because I thought one wolf could be better and I was so stubborn that I blinded myself to everything. I let it happen for so long..." She suddenly is letting it all slip from her mouth. She can't stop it, it's like she is actively seeking some reason to make Baal dislike her. "I'm not... I can't smell." She visibly winces. "I have been weak my whole life, I may act like I'm strong but.... I'm sorry, I, you probably don't want to hear this. You were trying to lighten the mood and I..." She smiles weakly. "I can leave, I'm sorry for taking up your time." She scrambles up, feeling like her fur is on fire despite the freezing air.

[emorli]

((Haha! I'm trying to see if Baal can get Kineks to face her fear!))

Baal;

Baal's body is completely still other than his chest moving up and down, his ribs releasing and tightening to bring air in and then bush it back out of her lungs. Of course, this wolf wouldn't see herself as being strong, she seems to be extremely self-conscious. As she continues to stutter on trying to make words out of broken letters, he can see the worry visible on her features, she's scared, not only of her past but of what he's saying.

In silence, Baal listens to Kineks ranting, or rather, trying to convince herself that she's weak. The stormy-pelted male's features give off a peaceful maturity. He only nods as she speaks allowing her to vent out. She shakily stands up about to take off and leave, that's when Baal decides to use actual words and speak.

"Don't leave. I understand but with what I've seen, personally, I think you're quite brave. I've done my fair share of damage to other wolves and to relationships in my past by only thinking of what's best for me. It's what you choose to do after to make up for it that counts." Baal's smile grows and gives off a very bright feel. His pace quickens and a warm feel rushes over his body as he's proud of how he's grown to be better than he was before and how he hopes that Kineks is able to do the same.

[koolpup]

Kineks freezes as Baal speaks to her again. She turns her head shakily, her crimson eyes meeting his orange. She just stares at him for a few seconds, unable to understand why he can so simply accept everything she said. Why he can accept her. Why he can smile and say she's brave despite knowing her weaknesses. Yes, from what Baal says, they've both let bad things happen and have done bad things themselves.... but how can he-?... She opens her maw, perhaps to say something, but no sound escapes her.

The red she-wolf remains frozen in place despite the coldness that has begun to creep into her paws. Her ears twitch slightly, still pinned back. Her mouth suddenly feels so dry that the skin might crack and her chest throbs like an open wound, raw and tender. She knows she herself ripped that wound open wide. A noise finally scrapes it's way out of her throat, a small, strangled whine.

She looks away from Baal, closing her eyes. He may be mostly a stranger to her, but still, he managed to bite deep into the jugular of what troubles her. His words do hold truth. She may not accept his praise of her but his words about present choices and how they can make up for past mistakes are true.

Kineks opens her eyes.

"I am trying to make things better.... Trying to be better." She begins, letting herself face Baal again. She still feels anxiety tugging at her as she speaks, but she pushes through. She sits down shakily and sighs. "I'm not strong. I don't feel strong, or brave. Maybe one day I might but..." Vardan steps into her mind yet again and she frowns. "I can't now, not until I try to make some of the wrongs I let happen right. I'm sorry for exploding on you.... I just.... It's strange how much your praise of me got to me. I'm not used to it... heh, we barely even know each other, I should not have bombarded you with all my emotions... again I'm sorry."

[emorli]

Baal;

I'm not used to it... heh, we barely even know each other, I should not have bombarded you with all my emotions... again I'm sorry. Baal shakes his head, dismissing Kineks' apology,

"Please, don't apologize. I'd much rather you tell me this than keep it jarred in. Keeping things like this to yourself cause those thoughts become dangerous and hurtful." Baal's features radiate welcomeness and he stands to move closer to Kineks, poking his head in the direction she now looks with a bright smile

"Because you're trying means you're strong. You haven't given up even though the battle is long and grueling, you're still trying your best. That's all that matters." The male's eyes gain a slightly sad glint and he speaks once again,

"Please don't be upset with yourself and please don't be afraid to talk about these things. A simple conversation could make it ten times better because you know you have someone to support you in situations like these." Surprising himself slightly, Baal is willing to be behind Kineks right now. Ready to help her through the problems she faces because he knows what it's like to be in her situation. He knows what it's like to have no one to be there for him. He couldn't let her stand alone in this fight.

((200+))